Lausitzring, Brandenburg, Germany

WorldSBK has been a regular visitor to Germany over the decades with races having been held at tracks such as Hockenheim, Oschersleben and Nürburgring and with Lausitzring returning to the calendar in 2015, having previously hosted the championship on five occasions between 2001 and 2007.

German rider Max Neukirchner was a WorldSBK race winner in the 2000s, riders such as Udo Mark, Ernst Gschwender, Jochen Schmid and Peter Rubatto were regular fixtures in the 1980s and 1990s and Stefan Bradl represents Germany in the series in the present day era.

PADDOCK SHOW

Exclusive to WorldSBK, the Paddock Show is back bigger than ever before. With more opportunity to meet the riders, win official WorldSBK goodies, sit and have a photo on the many replica machines on display and an all new SuperShow on Saturday. More than two hours of entertainment involving riders from all classes, you won’t want to miss any of the on-stage action and autograph sessions.

FAN GUIDE

ALL TICKETS VALID FOR ALL OPEN GRANDSTANDS.CHILDREN UP TO AND INCL. 12 YEARS OLD GET FREE ENTRANCE!

PARTY ZONE: Free for everyone. Live concerts and parties behind the Main Grandstand.Friday 20:00 – 23:00 ROCKVALLEY - rock, pop and indie covers.23:00 – 03:00 AFTERHOUR DJ PARTY PART 1 - party with dancers and the best club music

Saturday20:00 – 23:00 QUEEN II – magic tribute to Queen and Freddie Mercury23:00 – 03:00 AFTERHOUR DJ PARTY PART 2 - party with dancers and the best club music

SPECTATOR SERVICES

CAMP AT THE CIRCUITFor those who don't want to miss anything of the racing weekend and enjoy all other activities!A campsite located behind the Main Grandstand will be open to all fans from Thursday 12:00 h until Sunday 22:00 h.Advance booking at www.lausitzring.de

CLOAKROOM FOR BIKERSA Biker Cloakroom is available to all fans to store their motorcycle clothing and helmets.

Useful Information

Fullname: Lausitzring, Brandenburg, Germany

Capital City: Berlin

Time zone: GMT +1

Currency: Euro (symbol: €, code: EUR)

Electric plug type: C & F

Important telephone numbers:

Emergency services: 112

Dresden Airport: +49 351 8813360

Berlin Schönefeld Airport: +49 30 60911150

Brandenburg Tourist Centre: +49 331 2004747

Lausitzring Circuit: +49 35754 33733

Weather: When WorldSBK visits Brandenburg in August the weather is pretty good, with daily average highs of 23°C (74°F) and an average minimum of 13°C (55°F). There is an average of seven hours of sunshine per day in the region during this summer month.

At the heart of Europe, Germany has seen immense social change over the years following reunification after the Berlin Wall came down at the end of the 1980s. In 2006 the country celebrated the 2006 FIFA World Cup in style with games hosted across the former West and East Germany and with modern Germany colourfully highlighting its multicultural personality.

A symbol of the country’s reinvention and resurgence over the last three decades is the capital Berlin, which is now one of the most exciting and forward thinking of Europe’s many great cities.

Germany’s rich and dramatic past has left a deep artistic, architectural and historical legacy to be understood and explored, with the contrast between the past and present being evident in cities such as Munich, Leipzig, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Stuttgart and Düsseldorf, where ancient buildings often sit side-by-side with the most cutting-edge new bars, restaurants and galleries.

Germany’s marvelous countryside - expansive forests, lakes and mountains - provides great opportunity for adventures and the country’s spa towns and hotels are amongst the best in the world.

Once behind what was formerly referred to as the Iron Curtain during the Cold War era, Brandenburg is home to the Lausitzring and is one of 16 federated states in Germany. It has 2.5 million inhabitants, has a border with Poland and surrounds - but does not include - the national capital and city-state Berlin.

Finding the right accommodation

One of the best places to stay near the Lausitzring is the town of Senftenberg which has a population of just under 30,000 and is a pleasant place to be based. A good array of hotels and guesthouses are on offer and from €70 up to €200 per night there are good choices available for almost all budgets.

Other small towns such as nearby Lauchhammer or Hoyerswerda, on the other side of the Senftenberger See into Saxony, also offer further options for guests.

The cities of Dresden and Cottbus are both within an hour’s drive from the circuit and offer far more choice in terms of type of accommodation, but keep in mind the traffic and journey times to and from the track on race days.

Exploring Brandenburg and beyond

Airports such as Dresden (60km) and Berlin Schönefeld (115km) are within relatively easy reach of Lausitzring and visiting either of the fantastic cities these airports serve is well worth your while.

Since the devastation of World War II – when more than 90% of the city’s buildings were destroyed – and the isolationism of the Cold War era, several years of regeneration have totally reinvented Berlin, now Germany’s capital and most cosmopolitan city by far.

It is a decent drive from Lausitzring and is not part of Brandenburg as it forms its own city-state, but Berlin is surrounded by the larger state and is most certainly worth taking some time to explore.

The range of culinary delights on offer in Berlin’s restaurants and cafés, its cutting-edge architecture, its nonstop nightlife, its many large open green spaces and a thriving arts scene make this a must-see city. Excellent museums, memorials and historic sights, including the famous Brandenburg Gate and remarkable Fernsehturm TV tower, draw in visitors from all over Europe and beyond.

Another city to have undergone a complete rebuilding and rejuvenation is Dresden, across the state border from Brandenburg into Saxony but also an amazing place to spend some time. Dresden buzzes with ambience, especially at night when its bar and club scene come alive in the ‘Neustadt’, whilst the restored glory of the Baroque Altstadt is really something to cherish.

Exploring rural Brandenburg is also fun, with the unspoiled natural landscape scenically traversed by an abundance of pristine rivers and lakes. A jigsaw of forests, sunflower fields, heathlands, meadows and tranquil waterways are yours to discover in The Spreewald (a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve). Meanwhile close to Lausitzring is the evolving and growing Lusatian Lake District, where many of the lakes are manmade.

Tips for visiting Brandenburg and beyond

Of course the Germans love their beer and many of the country’s finest beers are found on tap throughout Brandenburg, with the products of the world’s oldest beer purity law (the Reinheitsgebot) pouring into the region, especially from nearby Saxony where Freiberger is brewed.

Brandenburg is known in Germany for the quantity and quality of pickled gherkins it produces, with thousands of tonnes in a dazzling variety being bottled and munched each year.

Vegetables and freshwater fish are the staples of Brandenburg cuisine, so look out for local dishes on the menu featuring asparagus, beans, kale, chestnuts, porcini mushrooms, often accompanying crayfish, pike, eel or carp.

Brandenburg is a vast state and would take weeks to discover in full, with a town such as Rheinsberg in the north of the state being picturesque but nearly 250km from Lausitzring so plan your journeys and excursions with these huge distances in mind. From the circuit a day trip into Poland can be enjoyable and would only involve a comparatively short amount of time in the car or on your motorbike.

Did you know?

Fonsi Nieto took an important pole for Kawasaki at Lausitzring in 2007, as the Japanese manufacturer had waited nearly ten years to record a pole position at that time. Their previous one had been with Yanagawa at Sugo in 1997.

EuroSpeedway Lausitz is built on the site of a large former coal mine from the socialist East German era and also features a high-speed Nascar-style oval race track, with a capacity for 120,000 spectators.